


What Would You Say?

by ladyjax



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: lgbtfest, F/M, Female Character of Color
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-17
Updated: 2010-06-17
Packaged: 2017-10-10 03:59:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/95242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyjax/pseuds/ladyjax
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's hard to know the truth about yourself. It's harder to share that truth with someone you love. But in the Pegasus Galaxy, coming out is just a matter of opinion.</p><p>Prompt: 3131: It's the first time John's been in a relationship with a woman who actually knows he's bisexual. It's kind of scary, and also kind of a relief.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Would You Say?

John stood looking at himself in the mirror, a slight frown on his face. By his own admission, he didn't think he was particularly vain. He knew he turned heads, if one wanted to use the opinion of any number of the females in the Pegasus Galaxy to go by. Usually, he laughed it off; no one really noticed that things didn't progress past a certain point and having that little bit of cover served him well.

Except this was different. This was Teyla and the thing between them was still new enough to have butterflies churning in his stomach.

He smoothed nervous fingers over his jeans and checked his shirt. "It's okay, John," he said to his reflection. "It's just a date and it's Teyla. We're both adults. You can do this."

John looked at himself critically again and shook his head. "Who am I fooling?" He gave himself one last look and headed out the door.

Over time, Friday nights in Atlantis has morphed into a combination date/club/hang out night. Elizabeth, and later Sam and Woolsey, had encouraged everyone to have at least one day in which things were wound down and not so stressful. Friday just seemed to be a natural choice considering weekends were just as likely to be mission and/or work days. John found Teyla with the rest of the team down in the mess hall. Standing at the entrance of the mess hall, he took her in. She'd opted for a long linen tunic and pants, topped with a leather and metal belt, her hair drawn back in a ponytail. She wasn't a brittle beauty, not like his ex, Nancy; there was something alive in the way she smiled and laughed with Ronon and Rodney. Not for the first time, he wondered how he'd been so lucky as to catch her eye.

Gathering his courage he sauntered over to the table.

"Sheppard," Ronon said. "Took you long enough. Thought you were going to miss dinner so I saved you dessert."

"At much cost to himself," Teyla added with a small laugh. "He and Rodney very nearly came to blows over that pudding cup." Rodney snorted with derision. "He was hogging that pudding cup and you know it."

"Thanks, big guy," John said as he sat down in front of Teyla. He folded his hands on the table and looked down at them for a moment, uncharacteristically quiet. Two slim brown hands slid over his, inviting. John looked up into Teyla's face and saw her smile. She didn't say anything, just sat with her hands over his.

"And that's our cue to leave," Rodney said. "Ronon, you and I have a date with a DVD." He pushed away from the table and stood up. Looking down at Ronon, he poked him. "Well?"

Ronon sighed and got up from the table. "I'm coming but I swear McKay, I want to watch this movie in peace. No extra comments."

"What? Just because I pointed out a few inaccuracies in Journey to the Far Side of the Sun doesn't mean that we won't have a good time."

"McKay..."

Their bickering faded as they walked away. Teyla spared their retreating forms a glace before turning her attention back to John. "If this makes you uncomfortable..." and she started to pull her hands away only to have John stop her.

"No, no it's fine. I'm just a little nervous."

One sharp eyebrow upward was Teyla's only reply but her lips held the hint of a smile. John stood up and motioned towards the balcony. "Walk with me?"

Teyla nodded and they walked out of the mess hall. Once they were far enough away, John slipped his arm around Teyla's waist and pulled her close. They walked slowly letting the sea air wash over them.

Finally, they found a spot to stop and sit with just enough light from the hall to keep away the deepening dark. John shifted his arm to Teyla's shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Comfortable?"

Teyla nodded. "I am." They sat quietly for long moments just enjoying each others company. John kissed her forehead, letting the silence and her presence seep into him. In spite of his own misgivings about dating someone within the same command, John had seen too much in Pegasus to realize that he couldn't let things just pass. He'd screwed up his courage and showed up at Teyla's quarters one night to ask. Somewhere between chasing Torren to give him his bath and actually putting the boy to sleep, he stammered out what was in his heart to Teyla.

To her credit, Teyla limited herself to one eyebrow raise and a slight smirk before she put him out of his misery and said yes. And it was good and fine and wonderful in ways that neither of them had expected and yet there was still one thing he'd left unsaid. Until now.

"I need to tell you something."

"Yes?"

John had no idea why he was doing this but now that he'd started down the path, there was no going back. "Now that we're together, I thought it was only fair that I tell you a little more about me."

Teyla nodded at him to continue.

"I'm probably making a bigger deal of this than it should be," he said slowly, "but I figure I ought to just come clean."

Teyla slid from under his arm so she could look at him. "What is it?"

Jonn rubbed his face with nervously and continued. "Okay, um, you know how when we were on P9F-787 a couple of weeks ago?"

Teyla's face took on a thoughtful air as she mentally went over their last few missions. "That was Ventral, was it not?"

"Yeah, Ventral." John nodded. "While we were there, I got propositioned."

"John," Teyla replied, with no small amount of amusement, "that is not anything new."

"By one of the local lord's sons."

That made Teyla sit back a little. "Really." A small smile tugged at the edge of her mouth. John began to grow suspicious.

"Yes, really. Jund, Tavin's son." Tavin being the head of one of the more prosperous trading villages on Ventral. "He, well, he sort of asked me out on a date."

Teyla's eyebrows rose even higher. "I see." She peered at John. "Should I be concerned about your answer?"

"My answer?" For a moment, John didn't register what Teyla said. When he did he drew back indignantly, "What? What, no! I mean, I told him no."

Teyla folded her arms across her chest and gave him a stern look. "Perhaps I should keep a closer eye on you when we go on missions. Clearly you exert more of an influence on potential allies than I had previously expected." She unfolded her arms and leaned in until she was practically in John's face. "I probably should stake my claim in a more permanent way."

John held up his hands in surrender. "Whoa, wait a minute, Teyla. I told him no, that I had someone. He took it pretty well and...." He stopped then when he saw the growing gin on Teyla's face. "Wait a sec. I just told you that a man asked me out."

"Yes, John you did."

"And you didn't freak out about it."

She leaned all the way in and rested her forehead against his before gifting him with a brief kiss on on the nose. "I have no reason to 'freak out' as you say. You are an attractive man and there are many in Pegasus who would be attracted to one such as yourself."

John chuckled. "You'll have to excuse me while I take all this in. I haven't had the best of luck with my ex's when they were faced with this."

Teyla sat back and gave him her best listening face.

"We've pretty much covered the whole gay-straight thing with you." he began.

A roll of the eyes reminded John of Teyla's initial reaction to the basic breakdown of sexual relations and orientations on Earth. She was underwhelmed to say the least. John waved a hand and continued. "Well, I'm bi. Bisexual." He waited for her to ask what that meant but she stayed quiet. John took a deep breath and plunged on. "I'm attracted to both men and women."

"Yes," Teyla replied. "I am well aware of this."

That stopped John in his tracks. "You're what?"

Teyla shrugged. "I have eyes, John and I spent a great deal of time that first year we were teammates watching you. Suffice to say, I noticed when your attention would rest on certain persons both here in Atlantis and when we were on missions. It was easier for me to keep my silence and observe."

John shook his head in wonder. "I can't believe this. You could have told me."

"And you could have said something sooner," she fired back before gentling her tone. "John, you are a very private man. I have always known this. You have attractions to both sexes, which is something I am familiar with.. But I also was unsure if I could pry. I did not want you to push me away."

He took her hands and kissed them. "Nancy, my ex-wife, she didn't take it very well. She thought it meant that I'd be unfaithful to her or that it would be an excuse for me to go running after other people." John shrugged. "A lot of people think that's the way bisexuals are."

As a slight breeze stirred the hairs against the back of his neck. John felt curiously light. "I've never just come clean about this before. It feels a little...strange."

"I can understand that." Teyla snuggled against him and his arm came around her shoulders once more. "Just because many cultures in Pegasus have had to make new lives under the Wraith does not mean that they are without their own prejudices. One planet may accept you while another may cast you out for not doing your duty toward home and family." She shrugged. "The only thing we can ask of each other is to be truthful about what we desire, lest it fester between us."

John shifted and brushed his lips against her ear.. "So, you're sure," he asked softly. "It doesn't freak you out."

Teyla smiled, shifting her weight so that her breasts brushed his chest lightly. "It does not. I will not stop you should you care to look."

"Have you ever...you know?"

"Been attracted to one of my own sex?" Teyla ducked her head down. "Once or twice. When I was much younger."

"Really," John's fingers traced invisible patterns on her neck before slipping downward to tease her cleavage. "And?"

"And what?"

"Did you indulge?"

Teyla lifted an eyebrow. "A woman has secrets, John. You should know that." She smirked. "Besides, I'm aware of the fact that many men think that it's somehow "hot" that two women have sex with one another."

John could hear the rebuke as well as the air quotes around the word hot in Teyla's voice and he chuckled. "You really know me pretty well don't you?" He bent his head lower and took her mouth with his own. The kiss growing hotter and wetter the longer it went on. When they broke away, Teyla's hands were fisted in his shirt, holding on.

"We would not be together if I did not want you, John. All of you." She nipped at his mouth playfully. "I have never been one to been one to be swayed by convention."

"Mmm, yeah, okay." He took her hand and tugged her out of the alcove. "Let's say we take convention back to my quarters and test it out."

***

Three weeks later found the team on enforced downtime. Teyla was quick to suggest that the team take a trip to a nearby planet, Plendill to "further the expedition's knowledge of the cultures of the Pegasus Galaxy." John had to kick Rodney in the ankle when he snorted aloud during the briefing when Teyla suggested the trip. He was sure that Woolsey wasn't going to be swayed by Teyla's brand of bullshit but either Woolsey was off his game or he honestly didn't care. In any case, he gave them a full three days away and they were on their way through the gate in record time.

When they got there, Teyla booked them into an inn near the gate that catered to travelers, passing out clothing that would allow them to blend in more fully. For John however, she had something special in mind for him.

When Rodney and Ronon saw them enter the ante room downstairs, they could only stop and stare at John. "Um, okay, is there something we should know here?" Rodney asked cautiously. Ronon looked John up and down and nodded. "Not bad."

John shifted from one foot to another nervously. He wore a black sleeveless shirt with a mandarin color and gold piping on the edges, pleated black pants with slightly wide legs, and a band on his left arm. Teyla wore a similar band on her right, along with one of her amazing bodices and pants not unlike Johns. She wore a knife and her bantos rods along her back and when Rodney looked at John, he realized that he had a wicked looking knife around his waist.

Ronon nodded at John. "Wearing his knife out like that means he knows how to use it, that he's responsible with it." He grinned. "She tell you about this?"

John looked at Teyla who looked back at him with a small indulgent smile. "She sort of mentioned it." he shrugged. "I guess it makes sense." Rodney threw his hands in the air.

"So, each one of you is armed to the teeth. Feeling a little left out in the cold here!." John slapped him on the shoulder affectionately. "Don't worry, Rodney. We'll protect you."

"NOT helping!"

In spite of the way Teyla basically bullshitted her way to getting them there, walking the streets of Plendill was actually a very interesting experience. Although they didn't condone public fighting, they did have a code of behavior that covered the use and wearing of weapons as Ronon pointed out. If anything, their group attracted a great deal of polite attention from the locals. John saw many men dressed as he was, loose garments, weapons at the ready. More than one nodded at him respectfully while eying his companions. At least two let their eyes linger. He felt the press of Teyla's hand against his own.

"John."

"Um, a couple of guys, checking me out."

"Ah," she said, looking around discreetly. Reaching over, she tapped the band on his arm. "They see this, they know you are taken. Should they wish to know you, then they would have to approach us both for a negotiation. However, looking is permissible." Another man walked by them, looking John up and down boldly. The woman by his side nodded at Teyla and grinned.

"This is going to take a little getting used to," John said and then he looked at Teyla with a happy smile. "But I think I can get used to it."

He slipped his arm around her waist and knew that he was going to be okay.


End file.
